Part 2
'Put a big, broad, honest-to-god smile on your face; throw back your shoulders; take a good deep breath and sing a snatch of a song. If you cant sing , whistle. If you cant whistle, hum. You will quickly discover that its physically impossible to remain blue or depressed while you are acting out symptoms of being radiantly happy.'
A big, warm smile brightened up her face as she read his message.
This man was becoming her habit, good or bad? She had no idea. He had become her centre of attention for the last week. She felt like a teenager, her heart drummed with beats she had never heard or felt. The purple thoughts never left her worrying.
And now was the day she was going to be his date.
Her room was a total mess, brimming with clothes, shoes and accessories. A girl who never took more than a minute to decide what to wear was locked up in an unknown confusion, unable to decide.
"Oh man... what's wrong with me?"
She quoted her ever famous line in despair.
Finally she was there. Shlok was waiting for her outside the restaurant. Both caught glimpses of each other through the shoving crowd and smiled. She started crossing the avenue as soon as the traffic thinned. She was just three yards away from him when he saw a fast car rushing towards her.
"Asthaaa!" He yelled.
She looked at the approaching car; horrified. She lost all her senses as to what to do. Suddenly she felt a strong grip on her arm as she was pulled towards safety. The car passed just a fraction of a second later.
Both almost hugged each other, breathless, panting badly, their heartbeats audible.
Astha looked at him horror-struck.
"Relax... its gone... you are fine."
He said through his breath.
A while passed; he tried leveling his breath.
"Are you always this careless while crossing?"
Astha's eyes welled up with tears. She looked away breaking away from the almost hug.
Shlok realised this and rushed towards her.
"I mean i could have lost you... i ...i would have gone crazy." He said; desperation clear in his voice.
She looked at him in disbelief and said timidly, "I am sorry."
"Promise me you are gonna be careful next time."
She nodded.
He offered his handkerchief to her to clear away the tears and both made their way inside.
He guided her to the spot reserved for them. It was an open air restaurant on the roof top of a huge five star hotel with the beautiful and breath-taking view of mountains behind.
She was wearing a russet coloured tunic on black jeans.
"This colour suits you a lot." He complemented.
"I know."
"That's modest."
She looked around at the few couples and gave Shlok a weird look.
"Shlok... this place looks like a lover's rendezvous."
He rose an eye brow, "This place is a lover's ron-deh-voh(rendezvous) because you are on a date... if you remember."
"Aren't dates supposed to be fun... these guys are like... lost into each other."
"No darling dates are supposed to be romantic, you can't play musical chairs or fire crackers... you know."
She gave him a sick look.
"I know that... but what are we going to do?... stare into each other's eyes?...i mean all of them look like zombies on a date."
Shlok laughed.
"Of course if you don't want to stare we can do something else..." He said cheekily.
Astha gave him a dirty look but then said, "Something like?"
Shlok thought to himself oh so she wants to play on... good.
"Something like..."
"Like?"
He got up and slumped on the loveseat beside her, mere inches away from her. He neared her until both could feel each other's breath. Astha's cheeks flushed crimson red as she stared into his deep brown eyes, heart thumping. He stared back.
He almost whispered, "Like..." and he neared her more. A slight movement and their lips would have brushed against each other.
"Like... saying nice things about each other." He said slamming his back with the back support, trying hard to control his laughter.
"What?" Astha said baffled.
"What did you think?" he teased her. "Come on start."
He held her right hand in his while his left arm rested on the back support behind her. with His face towards her, fully attentive, he gazed into her eyes.
She could feel her pulse rate shooting on his touch, on the proximity. She still managed to say,
"I could say nice things about you but i'd rather tell the truth."
He smirked, she was so not easy a competitor.
"And the truth is...?"
"the truth is your head piece is out of order."
"And?"
"And you've got sick jokes."
"And?"
"And you are way over the top about yourself."
"And?"
"And even with all these shortcomings... i still like you."
She sighed heavily. He couldn't help but smile.
"Your turn gentleman."
He smirked, "My turn... hmmm. Nice things or truth?"
"Truth."
"Well the truth is... I've gone crazy for you."
She looks at him stunned.
"And?" she almost whispered.
"And that i can't think of a life without you."
"nd..."
"And that i am going to propose you right here and now even if you stab me with this knife here."
"Rrreally?" she gawked at him.
"No i was just joking." He said sarcastically. "of course... look i know its hard to believe that a dazzler and stunner like Shlok Agnihotri has gone head over heels in love with a psychopath... people should mark their calendars... it's a threat less on them after all." He said thoughtfully.
Astha gave him a dirty look and punched hard on his biceps which obviously made no difference. He held the same hand in his and takes out a beautiful bracelet from his pocket. He tenderly slid it in her wrist.
Astha gazed at it; blushing.
"I am glad your dad's wish for a handsome, established and well-qualified son-in-law will finally be fulfilled. Won't you say anything?... oh i see you still can't believe that you have been proposed by the most eligible bachelor of the town... i completely understand." He said artificially sympathizing.
"You are crazy."
"That means a yes... by the way thank you for the complement."
Astha looked at him with teary eyes half smiling.
"Don't cry... i only keep one handkerchief and you have already used it."
Astha laughed in between her tears, "So start keeping two now."
"Are you that week... emotionally?"
"No... you will need two for yourself... because i am ganna make you cry a lot."
"I'll still rather have you more than anyone else in this world."
There was no combination of 26 alphabets which could describe her feelings at the moment.
Shlok embraced her in a hug, both under a spell of engulfing and captivating sentiments, we call love.
------------------------------The End--------------------------------------
Edited by LazyLad - 10 years ago
